Flask Follies

Yesterday I picked up a stainless steel, six-ounce, hip flask at Hi-Time, along with a small funnel to aid in filling it.

Right away I discovered some useful information. A glass flask would have the advantage of allowing one to see when it's about to overflow while being filled.

Given the need to rinse the inside occasionally, a permanent, leather covering would be something of a disadvantage. (Mine's cheap-looking plastic, which will probably crack and peel someday, but I wanted something less conspicuous than stainless steel.)

A captive cap is a plus overall, but it makes shaking out the water after rinsing a noisy and/or clumsy affair.

An attached shotglass, such as the one that Chuck Cowdery once described, would make the drinking more enjoyable.

Re: Flask Follies

Dave,

I have what I'd guess is the same flask, albeit purchased at Bevmo rather than hi-times.

A couple tricks I've learned:

1. The sound of the pour will tell you when the flask is full. Learn it.

2. While rinsing the flask, hold the cap up against that flask so it doesn't flop around, and gently rock the flask back and forth 35 degrees (along it's horizontal axis) or so in each direction to get the last of the water out.

3. Don't leave bourbon in there unconsumed. It won't keep more than a 3-4 days.

Re: Flask Follies

Jim,

Good tips, all!

No. 3 coincides with the instructions that came with flask, so I believe it.

However, haven't I heard that bourbon is sometimes stored in stainless steel after it has been aged sufficiently but the purveyors aren't ready to bottle it? Or do they use glass containers in that case?

Re: Flask Follies

And you'd at least stand a chance at getting one of them past a metal detector.

I haven't been to a big-time football game since around the time Fred Dryer retired from the mis-named Los Angeles Rams. In this post-9/11 world, do they search the tens of thousands of patrons at the gates? Shudder...

Re: Flask Follies

However, haven't I heard that bourbon is sometimes stored in stainless steel after it has been aged sufficiently but the purveyors aren't ready to bottle it?

That only occurs in very unusual circumstances. ( Read AH Hirsch) Now I'm sure we will be inundated with other instances. But generally they have better control of production and needs of the market so as to preclude this from happening much. Mitchters/Hirsch was a pretty unique, one off thing.

Re: Flask Follies

Bobby,

If my two bottlings of Hirsch show what happens after bourbon has "gone bad" in stainless steel, I have only one more question. How long will I have to store my filled flask before the bourbon inside it goes bad?

Seriously, there seems to be an inconsistency between the widely held belief that bourbon should not be left in a stainless steel flask more than three days versus the industry practice, however uncommon, of storing some of the finest bourbon I've ever tasted in stainless steel.

Perhaps all stainless steel is not created equal. Is there a metallurgist in the house?

Re: Flask Follies

Dave, there are most definitely different types of stainless steel. Some would be more than up to the task of holding bourbon for long periods of time without affecting the flavor. Others would not.

For example, whenever I scrub my stainless steel kitchen sink, there is always an identifiable aroma of stainless steel. Even if I am only scrubbing it with a sponge and water. This particular type would probably impart its flavor to bourbon in a very short time.

Re: Flask Follies

Dave, there are most definitely different types of stainless steel.

W/O a doubt. There are many various grades and the really good stuff can be VERY expensive... I don't do the ordering or anything, but I saw one of the guys at work doing price comparisons and was amazed!

Re: Flask Follies

In this post-9/11 world, do they search the tens of thousands of patrons at the gates? Shudder...

I have been to 4 major baseball parks this year and the only satdium to do any kind of real search (outside of looking in a carrying bag) was Clevelands Jacobs Field, which was funny cause there was NO-ONE at the game we went to. . .